Sicily is a bewitching land, full of contrasts and rich in history- typically known as the cradle of civilizations – where winemaking has always had deep and traditional roots.
It was as a matter of fact, considered one of the biggest producer of wine in Europe with more than 200.000 hectares of vineyard, and one of the most important wine regions in Italy.
Sicily’s beautiful landscape is home to vine and olive trees: the typical hills and mountains, the poor soil, the rarity of rainfall and the long, hot summers are all the features that distinguishes Mediterranean wines.
Moreover, Sicily’s wine industry was mainly supported by the quantity of wine produced. However, in the 1990’s a small, but important revolution began, producers – especially the younger ones – started underlying the importance of the quality of wine rather than the quantity, without worrying about the limitations imposed by the Mass Retail Channels.
It is exactly with this common denominator that the first artisans of “Organic Wine” were born and will become famous internationally for the high quality of their products.
The Sicilian grape par excellence – most common among red wines – is of the Nero d’Avola type, which can be vinified as mono-varietal or can be added to both local or non-local grapes.
Just like in other important Italian regions, the patrimony of local grape varieties is quite rich, especially for the red wines: Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Frappato.
As for the white local varieties we have: Catarratto, Grillo, Moscato di Pantelleria, Malvasia.
Nonetheless, globalization in the agricultural department has also allowed the introduction of new varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah o Chardonnay.
Let’s begin our trip: Purple Wines
In the north-eastern part of Sicily, near Alcamo, the famous lands of Aldo Viola are found. Thanks to the instructions that he gave us, we have arrived to an extended wind farm, where at the end of a path decorated with small purple stones, we meet Aldo, who is waiting with welcoming, open arms and with a table full of products ready to show us. His keep of sixteen hectares is situated near the north-eastern part of the region. Today Aldo, son of Don Ancilino, assures a throughout process of selection of the best grapes for his brands.
His wines are produced with passion and wisdom, virtues that have been passed down through four generations. Aldo was born in vineyards and is well aware of the principles of healthy farming with artisanal and organic vinification techniques.
Excellence, nature and tradition are the three main principles Aldo swears by. The small production ( 10,000 bottles per year) allows him to follow and take good care of the whole process: starting with pruning of the trees and ending with the final bottling of the wines.
The natural focus, in the cellar as in the vineyard, is of vital importance to the quality of the soil and the final product: ecological techniques accompanied by biodynamic criteria tend to enhance the strong territorial identity that they want to convey in their wines.
With a working philosophy in alliance with the forces of nature, Aldo is producing organic wines, fine and elegant, whose taste improves in time. In order to keep its natural qualities intact, he does not filter nor clarify it.
Especially known for his “big whites”: “Krimisio” derived from Cataratto grapes and “Egesta” from Grillo grapes considered to be authentic works of art – wines with a slight maceration, making them wide and persistent, with light balsamic and citric notes, typically Mediterranean -. Near his house the Syrah is planted, in two different plots and with a different exposure. From Syrah, “Guarini” and “Guarini Plus” are born, two wines that for their structure, elegance and at the same time fineness, we can without hesitation compare to the more classic Syrah de la Côte du Rhone.
Finally, we could not avoid mentioning “Moretto”, Aldo’s Nero Mascalese, which industry professionals have named the “Pinot Noir of Sicily”.
Aldo lives in close contact with his vineyards: very sensitive and meticulous, has used all of his experience and wisdom into making vineyards and wines one of the best on the market. It has been both a pleasure and a luxury for us to get to understand his work.
The trip continues: Marilina’s Cellar
After a few days of relaxing in the fantastic Sicilian beaches, we are heading south-east towards Noto, where we will meet the wines of Marilina’s cellar – an organic wine company founded in 2001 -. Today run by the women of the Paternò family: sisters Marilina and Federica Paternò. Their business philosophy is based on absolute respect for their own land.
The Mediterranean climate, the geographic location and the type of soil – limestone – are the characteristics that enhance the quality of their grapes: from fully organic agriculture, to historic vineyards, to wine making in cement warehouses and finally to the traditional drying of the grapes in the sun.
Cantina Marilina is located near Noto, a city in the heart of the Sicilian history and culture, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surrounded by an authentic natural and precious landscape which includes Vendicari’s fauna oasis, Marzamemi, Portopalo of Capo Passero and the Isle of the Currents. The winery is under the administration of DOC Noto and DOC Eloro. What immediately strucks us is how well-balanced the relationship between man and animal is in all of Marilina’s keep – managed by her father – she is in fact, known as the pioneer in the world of vegan wines. No kind of animal product is used in the winemaking process: it is precisely in this field that her father’s transparency and honesty is enhanced.
Small amounts of S02 are used in the cellar at the time of bottling: however, we recognize a coherent sustainable agriculture and a constant search for a more artisan and natural product. Without doubt this is stop that we highly recommend. Their wide macerations come to fruition in the red wines as well as in the white ones: unforgettable can be defined the raisins of Rain of Stars (Moscato) and Autumn Drops (Nero d’ Avola), wines that clearly represent the Sicilian territory and its tradition.
Heading south: SP68
With an ongoing shining sun and with great motivation we head to the extreme south of Sicily to visit the Occhipinti family.
Damiano, who works in great accordance with Arianna, took us on a all morning long tour, telling us where and how – 14 years ago – their journey began: in the “Fossa di Lupo” area, where the 3000 years old path of the current “SP68” is found.
Here, for more than 20 years, vineyards slope on a limestone base which is typical of the area. Damiano tells us that from the first moment in the estate the same importance and care has been given to both olive and cereal, as well as to the vine. Everything is cultivated biologically, with low sulfur doses, far below the quantities allowed by the certifications.
From the beginning, Arianna had to adapt to the biodiversity and characteristics of her territory: she is in fact, a great biologist in her region. She reclaims respect for the balance of the soil, works the vineyard with skilled gestures, practicing a sensitive agriculture in alliance with the orography of the area.
In the cellar, spontaneous fermentations is created using indigenous yeasts, treating wine as if it were a living organism: her wines represent exactly the land they come from, admitting only a small amount of sulfur dioxide before bottling, which does not at all alter the “craftsmanship” of the final product.
Her “SP68 White” (Moscato, Albanello) and “SP68 Red” (Frappato, Nero d’Avola) are known and appreciated worldwide – although probably the most ambitious wine, which unequivocally represents the territory and tradition of the area, is her “Cerasuolo di Vittoria” (Frappato and Nero d’Avola).
Finding Gabrio Bini
With a particularly warm climate, but cloudy and windy sky, we return to Trapani to take the ferry to Pantelleria. More than six hours of travels await us as well as Don Gabrio Bini at the Serragghia Farm.
The planned visit to Gabrio’s farm is a very important stage for us, especially after his presence at the VellaTerra 2016 fair. He is famous for his “Zibibbo” (Dry Muscat) and “Fannino”, an elegant coupage of red grapes (Pignatello ) and white grapes (Catarratto).
Gabrio has historic vineyards, planted on ancient terraces of volcanic soil, whose vineyards have never been treated, but have always been harvested by hand – with the help of a horse only.
The grapes are collected and handled manually, fermenting slowly into ground terracotta amphorae. All of the wine is bottled without any filtration or clarification, and without the addition of any additive.
Unfortunately for us, once arrived in Trapani, we come to notice that the climate conditions are not adequate for us to take the ferry to Pantelleria, and as a result, no trip!
Sadly, we were unable to postpone our scheduled departure, so we had to resume our journey without being able to visit Gabrio Bini’s wonderful vineyards.
We want to thank Pier Paolo of Dos Tierras, Anna from Vino di Anna and Frank Cornellissen for their availability and kindness. Unfortunately, we could not combine our short trip with their harvest needs. We also want to leave a special make a special acknowledgement to Gabrio, who was waiting for us in Serragghia with open arms.
The desire to return to this wonderful island remains in order to visit its beautiful artisans, to better understand their fantastic work, their territory, their vinification… and to appreciate with them the wines, sip after sip!
Thanks to these artisans, Sicily is constantly present in the world map of natural wines.
